After The Great Fire
by LinksClone
Summary: After Emilia kills Subaru in the Ayamatsu IF Return By Death transfers to Emilia sending her and Puck back to before the events of the loothouse.


**Hey guys thanks for reading this, it's my first fanfiction so it's probably littered with bad writing but if you have any criticism lay it on me.****To understand this fanfiction you need to have read the Ayamatsu what If otherwise you might not understand some parts, its a good read so make sure you do.**

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Emilia could feel emotions welling up inside spiraling around in a cloud of confusion as she formed mana into a sharp ice spear hesitating to release the weapon into the advancing enemy

"I'm the man who burned the world, rocked the country, killed the hero, and—"

Just before he he is able to finish his speech Emilia gathers the strength to kill and throws the spear straight through him subsequently toppling the man over. Even after being pierced through the mans pained smile still remains on his face, confusing Emilia even more as she can only question why he would do this

"Why?"

The only thing Emilia can muster through her tears of which even she isn't sure why they are falling for him.

"Why?"

She asks again desperately hoping for a clear answer from the bloodstained man.

"—I love you."

As he whispers out those words with the last of his strength his eyes shut and all life leaves his body, unbeknownst to Emilia a dark force also leaves seeking a new master after its previous one had accepted their final death, it finds a suitable master in Emilia.

"Are you okay Lia? Don't pay any mind to the ramblings, all of the witch cult are incoherent madmen"

After the ordeal is through the concerned Puck asks Emilia who is in shock not knowing what to do after the anti climatic fight.

"I'm fine, it just seemed as if he wasn't just a stranger, he acted like he knew me and looked pained that i didn't know him"

While telling Puck her impression of the man named Natsuki Subaru Emilia wiped her drying tears away with her sleeves however while doing so she heard the sounds of carriages and earth dragons stomping on paved road then when she opened eyes-

"Hey Lady get out of the road!"

As the carriage driver yelled at Emilia to get out of the way Emilia shocked by the sudden yell stumbled backwards towards the street nearly falling backwards into the riverway before she regained her balance resting on the stone fence to regain her bearings.

"Where am I? What happened to the city it was just destroyed during the Great Fire so why is it back to its original state?"

As Emilia questioned her surroundings she felt Puck emerging from his crystal

"Hey Lia I'm not the only confused by why the city is back to its original state am I?"

Pucks questioning brought Emilia back to her senses. Realising that she had her trusty companion with her she brought her attention to him.

"No you're not, what should we do Puck?"

Asking her companion and foster father for which Emilia was dependent on both physically and emotionally and had complete faith in his wisdom for advice not being sure of what they need to do.

"Well why don't we start by asking someone about what happened?"

Taking Pucks advice Emilia approached the closest person looking for answers to her questions

"Excuse me sir, could you tell me what happened to the great fire?"

However when Emilia asked the stranger about the disastrous attack on the capital the only answer she got was a confused look from them

"What's the 'Great Fire' never heard of something like that"

"Sorry for wasting your time"

Realising that she wasn't going to get the answer she needed from the stranger however everyone else she asked also seemed to have no recollection of the attack.

Taking a deep breath Emilia resigned herself to the fact that she wasn't going to get an answer from anyone around here.

"Hey Lia why don't we go back to the mansion, surely Roswaal will have some answers for us"

Emilia realising that fact went to go rent a carriage to return to the mansion in which she stayed, however out of the corner of her eye she saw a small girl sprinting across the rooftops, when she got closer Emilia recognized the girl as Felt someone who had stolen her insignia before being taken by Reinhardt to compete in the royal election after realising she was deemed fit to be a royal candidate by the insignia.

"Hey Felt!"

Emilia yelled at Felt trying to get her attention while waving at her, however the girl didn't respond and only gave her a confused look, once she had gotten as close as she could on the rooftop Felt jumped off toward Emilia, however rather than stop to talk she promptly snatched the insignia and ran away leaving Emilia shocked and confused.

"Hey why are you stealing my insignia again? Come back here and give me back my insignia!"

Emilia yelled and chased after Felt demanding back the insignia, however while Emilia was shocked Felt had left Emilia in the dust with Emilia only barely being able to spot Felt running through the alleyways to escape. Realising that she wasn't going to be able to catch up she went around trying to close in on her. After some running Emilia spotted her leaving an alleyway-

"There she is lets get her and our answers!"

Puck yelled about the soon approaching girl, however in the corner of Emilias eye she saw three thugs beating up one person, with that distraction Felt flew past Emilia, not sure of what to do Emilia gave up on chasing Felt and went down into the alleyway to stop the thugs who were still beating up the lone man who, upon a closer look was wearing strange but familiar clothing.

"Hey you's leave him alone, if you leave now I wont hurt you!"

As Emilia declared that all three of the thugs and the man on the ground looked over to see her.

"What are you lookin' at!?"

The man who yelled at her was very pale as well as being skinny pointed ar her with a knife seemingly trying to intimidate her, however Emilia a spirit arts user viewed the thug and knife as weak, however even so she wanted to avoid a fight.

"Once again I'll warn you, leave and i won't hurt you!"

Giving her second warning Emilia could see the pale and skinny man getting visibly annoyed at her warnings.

"Who do you think you are telling me what do to, lets get her boys!"

As he ordered his friends to attack her she sent a iceball towards the smallest thug standing next to him who was promptly knocked unconscious, seeing that display of magic the remaining two stopped approaching her.

"She's a magic user we can't take her on!"

The biggest of the three yelled at the skinny leader who was both angry and slightly scared after seeing his friend knocked out in a second.

"Who cares its still two against one we can take her if we get close!"

As he said that Puck emerged from his crystal immediately leveling the fight and shaking his opponents will to fight.

"It's not two against one anymore you guys still wanna take me and Lia on?"

Puck questioned the two opponents with a smirk on his cat-like body, the two thugs upon seeing that their opponent wasn't just a magic user but instead quickly lost their will to fight and decided to run away instead of running into what could be their deaths.

"Ahh there they go, good thing you came out Puck or they would have kept coming until i had knocked another one out"

"Well that's I'm here for to keep you safe, what kinda spirit would I be if i didn't help you?"

Emilia relieved that they had managed turned towards the man still laying on the ground with bruises all over his body from the thugs beatings.

"Hey are you okay, if you can stand you should get out of here and seek a doctor, its not safe to hang around in alleyways"

The man who she was scolding proceeded to get up all the while his legs and arms were shaking from the beating

"Thank you for saving me from those thugs, I thought i was a gonner after until you fired that magic"

As the man got up and looked at Emilia, he looked at Emilia with a grateful smile, at that moment something clicked in Emilia.

"Wait! Its you, you started the Great Fire!"

Emilia had just realised who she had saved, the person responsible for the the attack on the capital, the Cardinal of the Witch Cult and the one that represented the sin of Pride. Emilia now having seen who she had saved turned to questioning him.

"What happened to the capital? Why did it turn back to the way it was? How are you still alive? How does no one remember the Great Fire?"

Emilia barraged one question after another at the confused man who didn't seem to have a clue about what she was talking about.

"What is this 'Great Fire' you're talking about I have no idea where I am, and you asked how I'm alive I've barely been in this place for an hour, do you know me?"

Subaru who didn't have a clue of what she was talking about and had only been in the world for an hour was even more confused with him not knowing who she was in the slightest.

"Don't try and lie to me I know who you are Natsuki Subaru, you started the Great Fire and even confessed it was you!"

As she said this Natsuki Subaru lost his bearings falling unconscious from the toll of the beating by the thugs and the confusion of the woman in front claiming to know him had taken. Unfortunately the previous beating has left Subaru weakened combined with the confusion he faints surprising and worrying Emilia afraid that she'll lose her answers again.

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**Thanks for reading the first chapter, if you think its good let me know, if you think its bad and you know some ideas to make it better please let me know even more. See yous next chapter.**


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